If at first you don’t succeed: Outstanding grad’s perseverance pays off

Kirsten Apodaca — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:59:00 +0000

If at first you don’t succeed: Outstanding grad’s perseverance pays off Kirsten Apodaca Tue, 12/23/2025 - 07:59

Kirsten Apodaca

Hero Trent

Failing Calculus 1 during her first semester wasn’t exactly how Hero Trent hoped to start her college career at CU Boulder. But she faced the challenge head on, and now she’s seeing the results of her hard work and determination.

This fall, she’s not only graduating with her degree in engineering physics — Trent was also named the Outstanding Graduate in Engineering Physics, selected as a Quantum Scholar, completed a research project on fiber optic phase noise stabilization, and landed a job as an optical engineer at Quantinuum.

A rocky start

Trent was always interested in engineering but wasn’t sure about the specific field she wanted to pursue. “I took college classes in high school because I really loved learning, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do at the time,” said Trent.

She completed an Associate of Science degree at Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado. When she transferred to CU Boulder, she considered aerospace or environmental engineering. Still undecided, she started in exploratory studies.

“My first semester at CU Boulder, I took Calculus 1 and totally bombed it. I had never failed a class before – it was heart-wrenching,” she said. Trent knew she had to learn calculus if she wanted to do anything engineering-related.

“I forced myself to like it and spent 10 hours a day studying calculus over winter break” she said.

Determined, she took Calculus 1 again in the spring and earned an A. With a newfound love for math, Trent became a learning assistant for the course the following semester and started tutoring other students.

She also looked for a major where she could apply math. “I had always been interested in physics but thought I couldn’t handle it because of the rigorous math,” said Trent. “But I kept hearing that physics is basically applied calculus, so I decided to take my first physics class.”

Her academic advisor suggested the engineering physics major might be a good fit, combining her interests in engineering and physics. She went for it and discovered her passion along the way.

Quantum Scholars provides connections

Fast forward to spring 2024, Trent first heard about the Quantum Scholars program from Keith Molenaar, dean of engineering, at a Donuts with the Dean event. “He asked what my major was and then asked if I was part of Quantum Scholars,” said Trent.

Another nudge came when her history and philosophy of physics professor, Mike Ritzwoller, recommended that she apply.

The Quantum Scholars program helps undergraduates learn more about the quantum field and industry, provides professional development opportunities and community, and offers scholarships supported by alumni, industry and external partners.

She took their advice, applied, and joined Quantum Scholars in fall 2024. Ritzwoller, who co-founded Quantum Scholars with Molenaar, said he was “truly delighted” when she was selected.

Trent received a Jennifer Turner-Valle Quantum scholarship for her participation in Quantum Scholars, in honor of the late Dr. Turner-Valle, an engineering physics alumna.

While the scholarship helped, Trent still had to work while she was attending school. “For a while, I was working at Starbucks from 4 a.m. until noon and then I’d come to class after. I just had to accept that I was going to be busy,” she said.

Ritzwoller was impressed that she was working full time while also carrying a full academic load. “Even with those demands, she was an outstanding student,” he said.

Taking full advantage of what Quantum Scholars had to offer, Trent attended talks by leading quantum scientists and industry leaders, joined Women of Quantum meetings, and toured local quantum companies.

A research opportunity

For her engineering physics major, Trent took an introduction to electrical engineering class in fall 2024, taught by Professor Scott Diddams. That class opened the door to a research position.

“Hero immediately stood out as one of the most inquisitive, focused, and thoughtful students in the class,” said Diddams. “When she asked about a research position in my group, I didn’t hesitate to welcome her.”

Her research project focused on transmitting highly stable optical and millimeter wave signals through fiber. This research plays an important role in improving long-distance communication and precision timing systems used in modern technologies.

Trent explains, “as frequencies of light travel through optical fiber, different changes in pressure and temperature, or external effects, change the phase of the light. So, I build systems to stabilize it.”

This has been done for a single wavelength of light, but Diddams noted, “our research on generating and distributing millimeter waves requires sending two wavelengths through the same fiber.” He praised Trent’s “persistence and ingenuity” in testing several solutions before arriving at the best approach.

The project gave her hands on experience with lasers, fiber optics, electronics, control systems, and measuring phase fluctuations — all of which will be useful as she enters the quantum industry.

Perseverance and connection

It was a long journey that involved a lot of failure and picking myself back up, but I think I’ve found my passion, and I’m so glad I persevered."

As she reflects on her journey, Trent says the most important lessons she learned are perseverance and connection. And graduating from college represents her hard work paying off.

Trent was named Outstanding Graduate in Engineering Physics at the Department of Physics Recognition Ceremony, in recognition of her academic achievement and research experience.

“I wanted to give up regularly, but this represents that I can put my mind to something and follow through with it,” she said.

For future students, Trent recommends getting involved in a project or a relevant job outside of the classroom and stresses the importance for both graduate school and industry. “Your degree is your ticket to have a seat at the table, but you need to prove that you can actually do things.”

What’s next?

Trent has certainly proven herself. Connections she made through Quantum Scholars and her research project in the Diddams lab helped land her a job as an optical engineer at Quantinuum. She starts in January.

“It was a long journey that involved a lot of failure and picking myself back up, but I think I’ve found my passion, and I’m so glad I persevered,” she said. “I think everybody can do this if they choose to.”

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Team of NIST and CU Boulder physicists achieve new levels of control over molecules

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:29:09 +0000

Team of NIST and CU Boulder physicists achieve new levels of control over molecules Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 12/22/2025 - 08:29

Physicists from NIST, including CU Boulder physics graduate students and CU PREP researchers, used laser-based techniques to employ a “helper” calcium atom and control a calcium hydride molecule nearly perfectly. Their results were recently published in Physical Review Letters.

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Physicist Jun Ye named to Quantum 100 list

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 20:18:24 +0000

Physicist Jun Ye named to Quantum 100 list Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 12/18/2025 - 13:18

This week, UNESCO named Jun Ye, professor adjoint of physics and fellow of JILA and NIST, to its Quantum 100 list—a catalogue of some of the top leaders around the world in the rapidly growing field of quantum science.

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Professor Gang Cao awarded Research & Innovation seed grant for quantum transport and orbitronics

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:44:24 +0000

Professor Gang Cao awarded Research & Innovation seed grant for quantum transport and orbitronics Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 12/15/2025 - 13:44

Professor Gang Cao has been awarded a seed grant from the Research & Innovation Office for his project titled "Chiral Orbital Currents: Engineering a New Platform for Quantum Transport and Orbitronics."

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New window insulation blocks heat, but not your view

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 20:08:52 +0000

New window insulation blocks heat, but not your view Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 12/11/2025 - 13:08

Professor Ivan Smlayukh and his research group have developed a new material that is completely transparent but so good at blocking heat that you can use it to hold a flame in the palm of your hand. Their results were recently published in Science.

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Ruijian Wang earns undergrad research award for quantum optics and photonics

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 13:28:45 +0000

Ruijian Wang earns undergrad research award for quantum optics and photonics Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 12/11/2025 - 06:28

Kirsten Apodaca

Physics senior Ruijian Wang has been awarded the Fall 2025 Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Award from the Department of Physics for his outstanding research in quantum optics and integrated photonics. The award is one of the top honors for graduating physics students at CU Boulder.

Established in 2013 by alumnus Dr. Stephen White (Phys’63), the award recognizes exceptional undergraduate research projects. During his undergraduate studies at CU Boulder, Dr. White held several research positions which made an impact on his career and led him to create this award.

A passion for physics

Wang said his interest in physics stemmed from a fascination with math, and how scientists can use a few elegant equations to describe the fundamental physical principles of our universe. He spent several years studying physics, math and music in China before continuing his studies in the United States.

He pursued his interest in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical (AMO) physics through research positions at Yale University and at MIT. As the first undergraduate student to work in Prof. Charles Brown's lab at Yale University, he designed and improved PID feedback control circuits for advanced quantum simulation experiments with quasicrystals. Later, as a visiting student at MIT’s physics department from 2023 to 2024, he worked with Prof. Ronald Fernando Garcia Ruiz and led the design, implementation, and optimization of an off-center rotating Ablation Ion Source for laser spectroscopy experiments.

After these experiences, Wang considered where to finish his bachelor’s degree, and Boulder was strongly recommended as a top choice.

Squeezed light on a chip

After transferring to CU Boulder, Wang started looking for a research group where he could enhance his hands-on skills with optics.

“I was very interested in Professor Scott Diddams’ leading work in frequency comb and quantum metrology, so I stopped by his office and asked for one minute to introduce myself. He said he had five minutes to talk before his next meeting,” said Wang. Nothing like a time crunch to make a good first impression – Wang quickly explained his interests and to his surprise, Diddams said he might have an opening on a new project.

His project in quantum optics and integrated photonics involved making a special quantum state of light, called a squeezed state, on a tiny photonic chip about half the size of a penny. This special state reduces uncertainty in one physical quadrature of a quantum system and is key to improving precision measurements and quantum metrology.

Wang suddenly had a lot of studying to do. At first, they didn’t have their own experimental table, so he began pouring over research papers on the topic. He and Diddams started building the experiment setup from an empty table and Wang said that experience gave him extensive training, both in designing and setting up the experiment and in purchasing and working with vendors.

“One of the most unique things I learned was not just the individual experimental techniques, but how to plan and execute a project in its entirety,” said Wang. He noted that the real-world experience combined with weekly collaboration review meetings have set him up well for his future research career.

“Ruijian is an exceptional undergraduate researcher with amazing drive and curiosity-driven motivation for learning,” said Diddams, Wang’s research advisor and professor of electrical, computer and energy engineering and physics. “Usually, the generation of squeezed light requires a full table of equipment, but Ruijian is showing how to do that using a small photonic chip that could ultimately fit on the tip of your finger.”

This experiment is the “first step towards a robust and scalable approach of on-chip squeezed-light sensors for a new class of integrated photonics sensors,” Wang described in his honors thesis.

Earning top honors

Wang received a summa cum laude designation from the College of Arts & Sciences Honors Program for writing and defending his undergraduate thesis. The Physics Honors Council Representatives then selected him to receive the Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Award.

Jun Ye, professor adjoint of physics and JILA fellow, served as the Physics Honors Council Representative on Wang’s defense. “I was very impressed with the scientific knowledge and technical depth that Ruijian demonstrated through his written thesis and verbal presentation,” said Ye.

Upon earning the research award, Wang said he was proud to receive recognition from the Honors Council Representatives and the Department of Physics.

“It was great to hear the faculty who served on my defense were interested in what we’re doing in the lab, both the science and application aspects. It was nice recognition,” said Wang. “I really appreciate the honor and it’s good encouragement for the future.”

What’s next?

After graduating this fall, Wang plans to continue working in Diddams’ lab as a researcher. As the first college student in his family, he’s currently applying for graduate school, planning to pursue a Ph.D. in physics next fall. He believes the most important aspect of higher education was that it gave him the opportunity to explore different career paths.

Wang also earned the Jennifer Turner-Valle Scholars Fellowship and an SPIE Fellowship from CU’s Quantum Scholars program. He said the program gave him great insight into the quantum industry, and he wants to continue conducting research to develop quantum technologies for real-world applications.

“As a part of the quantum community, I want to help develop the next generation of AMO techniques for both fundamental physics exploration and impactful applications outside physics labs,” said Wang.

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STEM Together Symposium 2025 brings leaders to shape STEM action

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 18:46:55 +0000

STEM Together Symposium 2025 brings leaders to shape STEM action Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 12/08/2025 - 11:46

Hundreds of educators, students, scientists, policymakers, industry partners and community leaders gathered in November for STEM Together 2025: The STEM Education Action Symposium. Led by the Center for STEM Learning (CSL), the event was designed to advance collective action in STEM education and workforce development within Colorado’s strong innovative ecosystem.

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LASP instruments selected by NASA for Artemis IV mission

Kirsten Apodaca — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 16:00:21 +0000

LASP instruments selected by NASA for Artemis IV mission Kirsten Apodaca Fri, 12/05/2025 - 09:00

NASA has announced that instruments designed and built by researchers at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at CU Boulder have been selected for development for the Artemis IV mission, due to launch in 2028. Xu Wang, senior researcher at LASP at lecturer of physics, serves as principal investigator of the proposal, dubbed DUSTER (Dust and plaSma environmenT survEyoR).

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Time ticks faster on Mars: New study by Emeritus Prof. Neil Ashby and NIST Physicist Bijunath Patla

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:42:41 +0000

Time ticks faster on Mars: New study by Emeritus Prof. Neil Ashby and NIST Physicist Bijunath Patla Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 12/04/2025 - 07:42

What time is it on Mars? Physicists Neil Ashby and Bijunath Patla have calculated a precise answer for the first time, and their results were recently published in The Astronomical Journal. Ashby, professor emeritus of physics and physicist at NIST, formerly administered the CU Professional Research Experience Program, connecting students and postdoctoral scholars with researchers at NIST. Patla was previously a CU PREP researcher and is now a NIST Physicist in the Time Realization and Distribution Group.

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Art Meets Science in Physics Building Mural

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 22:55:59 +0000

Art Meets Science in Physics Building Mural Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 11/20/2025 - 15:55

Kirsten Apodaca

Students heading to class in the Duane Physics and Astrophysics building now have a glimpse into the world’s largest particle detectors in a new mural painted by Veronica Keff.

A senior in astrophysical and planetary sciences and a self-taught artist, Keff is bringing the detectors to life in the east stairwell of the classroom wing.

The mural depicts two major particle detectors operating at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a particle collider that stretches in a loop over 16 miles long, near Geneva, Switzerland. Both experiments in the mural – the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment and the ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS) experiment, are global collaborations with significant CU Boulder participation by researchers in the High Energy Physics Group.

Keff worked with several physics faculty members including Keith Ulmer and Jamie Nagle, to understand the technical components of the massive CMS and ATLAS detectors – and how best to visually portray them.

Veronica Keff adds detail to the mural. (Image: Veronica Lingo)

The left side of the mural features a cross-section of the CMS detector, offering a peek into the complex wiring and sensors that make up the enormous instrument. Measuring 21 meters long, 15 meters in diameter, and weighing 12,000 tons, the CMS detector is quite “compact” considering what it contains. It houses a 4-Tesla superconducting solenoid magnet, a force about 100,000 times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field.

On the right, Keff illustrated the particle tracks which demonstrated the existence of the Higgs boson, a fundamental particle that was confirmed for the first time by the CMS and ATLAS experiments at CERN in 2012.

First proposed nearly 50 years earlier, the Higgs was the final piece of the puzzle in the Standard Model, the theory that governs fundamental particles and their interactions. The Higgs field is what gives mass to particles like electrons and quarks.

The Higgs boson particle itself has such a short life that it cannot be detected directly. Once formed, it quickly breaks apart into other common particles. It’s also very rare: the Higgs boson only appears in about one in 40 million particle collisions. Scientists at CERN found evidence of the Higgs by analyzing trillions of collisions and tracing particles left behind by its decay. The discovery was announced on July 4, 2012.

The inspiration

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at CERN. (Image: CERN)

Event display from the ATLAS experiment during the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012. (Image: CERN)

The Beauty of Science

Though she has never formally studied art, Keff has always been passionate about both science and art, ever since she was a kid. In recent years, she has highlighted the importance of conveying science through art to engage the public.

“I have always seen art and science as two sides of the same coin, and their duality is what grants both depth and meaning to the world around us,” said Keff.

I have always seen art and science as two sides of the same coin, and their duality is what grants both depth and meaning to the world around us." - Veronica Keff

Several years ago, she got her first mural gig painting Jupiter’s Galilean moons in the bathrooms at CU Boulder’s Fiske Planetarium.

Last year, Keff was accepted to Psyche Inspired, a NASA and Arizona State University visual arts internship. The program hosts 16 undergraduates from around the country as they develop artistic and creative works showcasing the science and engineering behind NASA’s mission to the metallic asteroid 16 Psyche.

She produced four original works through the program and credits that experience for boosting her confidence to take on a larger project – the murals in the physics building.

Bringing art to Duane Physics

Veronica Keff works on the cross-section of the CMS detector. (Image: Veronica Lingo)

Keff brought her mural ideas in a proposal to Tobin Munsat, chair of physics, and Dave Brain, chair of astrophysical and planetary sciences.

“When Veronica brought this idea to us, I was excited at the prospect of making the building a more cheerful and vibrant place by depicting the scientific research that people in the building are engaging in,” said Brain.

As part of the Art Buffs Collective, a new campus initiative designed to center art in all academic, personal and professional worlds, Keff received funding to work on the project.

And with enthusiastic support from both departments, and with help from facilities management, Keff got the green light to start painting.

She started on the east stairwell mural over the summer, spending many days sketching, envisioning, and painting. Keff used a virtual reality headset to help check the size and scale of the mural.

“I used an app called Contour where you upload a picture and place it around you in a three-dimensional space,” she said. “It helped lay out exactly where the mural would go.”

The east stairwell mural is the first in a series of projects Keff proposed for the physics building. In the coming months, she plans to paint an astrophysics-themed mural featuring various components of a galaxy's spectrum, the elements of which can be traced to processes of star formation, accretion of dust and gas, as well as supernovae.

Reflecting on the process, Keff hopes her art helps bring some of CU Boulder’s research to life. “I wanted to show that even though there are individual projects and niche focus areas, it all comes together in the big picture.”

Portraying scientific concepts can be challenging, but Keff hopes people will appreciate the scale, color, and beauty of this complex research. She added, “the more we represent the beauty of what scientific research can be, the more people will realize its value and potential.”

Veronica Keff paints the mural in the Duane Physics and Astrophysics building. (Image: Veronica Lingo)

Students heading to class in the Duane Physics and Astrophysics building now have a glimpse into the world’s largest particle detectors in a new mural painted by astrophysics senior Veronica Keff.

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Veronica Keff paints the mural in the Duane Physics and Astrophysics building. (Image: Veronica Lingo)

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Newsletter

If at first you don’t succeed: Outstanding grad’s perseverance pays off

A rocky start

Quantum Scholars provides connections

A research opportunity

Perseverance and connection

What’s next?

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Team of NIST and CU Boulder physicists achieve new levels of control over molecules

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Physicist Jun Ye named to Quantum 100 list

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Professor Gang Cao awarded Research & Innovation seed grant for quantum transport and orbitronics

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New window insulation blocks heat, but not your view

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Ruijian Wang earns undergrad research award for quantum optics and photonics

A passion for physics

Squeezed light on a chip

Earning top honors

What’s next?

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STEM Together Symposium 2025 brings leaders to shape STEM action

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LASP instruments selected by NASA for Artemis IV mission

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Time ticks faster on Mars: New study by Emeritus Prof. Neil Ashby and NIST Physicist Bijunath Patla

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Art Meets Science in Physics Building Mural

The Beauty of Science

Bringing art to Duane Physics

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